Knitting machine and method



Feb. 16, 1932. LAWSON 1,845,669

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 12. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor: Hubert II. Lawson y ZTX aZ/Z lF'ela. M3, 1932.

R H. LAWSON 13,345,669

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fm/enzar': fiabrifilawsmz,

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT E. LAWSON, F IPAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIG'NOR TO HEMPHIL'L COLL IPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Application filed March 12, 1930. Serial No. 435,096,

This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines and, while directed to knitting machines of the type disclosed in the patcntto l-lemphill 933,443, September 7,

1909, is not necessarily limited to knitting machines having a circular series of needles, nor to the use of independently mounted needles, nor to aknitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view, partly, in section, of a portion of a knitting machine; 7

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a latch ring of a knitting machine and means for feeding a 15 main thread or threads to all the needles and additional striping or other threads to certain of the needles only;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3--3, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the ar- 20 rows; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showingqa modified, construction.

umeral 1 designates a needle cylinder of a knitting machine of the type similar to or 95 identical with that disclosed in the patent to Lawson 1,702,608, February 19, 1928. The needle cylinder is mounted upon and carried by the usual ring gear 2 which latter is driven in any suitable manner by gearing (not 30 shown). A supplemental ring gear 3 is mounted upon t e ring gear 2 and meshes with and drives a spur gear l to which latter is connected a shaft 5 extending vertically therefrom and mounted in bearings 6 and 7 At its upper end the shaft 5 has connected thereto a second spur gear 8 in mesh with a spur gear 9 which carries a shaft 10 depending theretrom. At the lower end of the shaft 10 is atlixed a disc 11 in the periphery of which are mounted porcelain or other eyes 12. Threads 13 carried by bobbins (not shown) pass through the mentioned eyes 12 and as the disc 11 rotates in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, the threads 13 are fed to r or wrapped around selected needles by the eyes 12. Desired ones of the needles may be selected by means of jacks in the same manner as are the needles in the mentioned Lawson patent, or they may be selected or posi- 0 tioned in any other desired manner although it is not essential that the needles be raised or positioned.

The teeth of the gears 3, 4, 8, and 9 are proportioned to drive the disc 11 one and one with the needle cylinder though obviously the said disc 11 may be driven to rotate in any timed relation with respect to the needle cylinder other than one and one and furthermore may be driven to gain or lose with respect to the needle cylinder. While herein shown applied to a knitting machine wherein the needles move past a fixed mouthpiece, the invention is not limited to such a construction.

The latch ring 14 has an extension 15 upon which are pivotally mounted levers 16 provided with eyes through which are interchangeabl fed threads or yarns such as 17 to the nee les 18 although more than one such thread may be simultaneously fed to the needles and, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, two such threads are simultaneously fed to the needles and, preferably, in lating or reverse plating relation. The nee les 18 knit in the usual manner in conjunction with sinker-s 19 slidably mounted in slots in a sinker head (not shown) and in slots cut in a stitch ring either carried by and forming part of needle cylinder 1 or integral therewith.

Whenever two or more threads are fed to a needle or needles and in plating relation it is necessary, 1n order to maintain the threads in such plating relation, that the said threads be held and maintained in spaced relation after they are within the needle hooks and until thc needles have drawn their stitches.

If the needle slots are cut of uniform depth throughout the length of the needle cylinder and the outer wall of the stitch ring is in alignment with the base portions of the needle cylinder slots, the needles are supported by the stitch ring and cylinder and remain straight and un deflected throughout the stitch drawing movements of the needles. As the needles successively draw their stitches the main and plating threads are positioned with in the needle hooks adjacent to one another and to the needle shanks and mispla-ting, due to the main thread, as the needles descend, moving to the rear of the plating threads, is 199' likely to occur especially if the plating threads are wrapped around the needles.

To avoid misplating the needle supporting surface of the needle cylinder or of the stitch ring-20 may be bevelled as at 21, Fig. 3, and the upper portions of the needle slots in the cylinder 1 cut to a somewhat greater depth as at 22; or the same result may be obtained by making the stitch ring 23, Fig. 4, of a somewhat smaller diameter than the corresponding stitch ring 20, Fig.3, and having the outer surface 24 of the stitch ring 23 parallel with the cylinder wall defining the base portions of the slots, whereas in Fi 3 the correspondin surface 21 is bevelled or inclined somewhat with respect to the said cylinder wall. The slots in the needle cylinder 25 may also be cut to agreater depth at their upper portions as at 26.

The bevelling or setting back of the outer surface of the stitch ring, and if desired the cutting of the upper portion of the cylinder slots to a greater depth than the lower portions thereof, removes the lateral support of the needles adjacent to their upper ends and permits theneedles to flex or bend in the direction of the needle cylinder.

When a tensioned plating thread such as a plating thread 13 is fed to or wrapped around a needle, the said needle is pulled back or deflected,'by the said tensioned plating thread 13, to a position against or adjacent to the outer surface of the stitch ring 21 or of the ring 23 with the result that the main threads 17 are positioned, by such deflection, against or adjacent to the bill of the needle hook and are substantially spaced from the plating thread 13 which latter bein under tension engages the shank of the hoo The pull or tension of a plating thread is due to the usual tension discs or other thread tensioning means, and to the movement of the porcelain eyes 12 away from the needle cylinder as the disc 11 rotates in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, which rotation exerts 'a ull upon the plating thread or threads suc as to cause the wrapped needles to be deflected against or adjacent to the needle cylinder or stitch ring.

By the construction hereinbefore described a maximum separation between the main or body and the plating threads is maintained while the needles draw their stitches and the respective threads are thus kept in plating relation and mispla-ting avoided.

Instead of relying on the tension of the threads or the rotation of the disc 11, other well known means maybe employed for deflecting the needles.

Although the invention has hereinbefore been described in specific terms the said invention is not limited to the construction shown except as required by the terms of the claims hereto appended.

Claims:

1. In a knitting machine of the independent needle type, a needle bed having needles therein, means for feeding at least two threads simultaneously to, at least, certain of the needles and with one, at least, of the threads being wrapped around said certain needles, the certain needles being adapted to bend in the direction of the needle bed when said certain needles have a thread or threads wrapped therearound, the bending of certain of the needles deflecting the upper ends thereof so that at least two threads will be maintained in separated relation after they are received within the needle hooks and until they are knit in the fabric.

2. A knitting machine having hooked needles independently mounted therein, means for feeding at least two threads to some, at least, of the needles .and in plating relation, the needles being laterally movable by one such thread and in the direction of the needle bed and when so moved positioning one thread adjacent to the bill of the hook of a needle and another thread adjacent to the shank thereof.

3. In a circular knitting machine of the type described, a needle cylinder slotted to receive needles therein, the slots adjacent to one end of the cylinder being deeper than the slots adjacent to the other end thereof, hooked needlesmounted in the said slots to reciprocate therein, means for feeding a main thread to the needles and in addition thereto at least one plating thread, said plating thread bein fed under tension and when received wit in the needle hooks adapted to engage the shanks thereof and deflect the hooked portions of the needles to such a lateral position that the main thread will be adjacent to the bills of the hooks of the needles.

4. In a circular knitting machine of the independent needle type, a rotary needle cylinder slotted to receive needles therein, the upper portions of the slots being deeper than the lower portions thereof thereby permitting the needles to be laterally deflected adjacent to their upper ends, means for feeding a main thread to all of the needles and other means for feeding a plating thread to some, at least, of the needles, said other means including a disc-like element provided with a thread feeding eye through which the plating thread passes, said disc-like element mounted to rotate in time with the needle cylinder and by its rotation to wrap said plating thread around a certain needle or needles and to defiect such needle or needles laterally within the deeper portions of the cylinder slots, the needle or needles when so deflected substantially separating the .main and plating threads.

5. In a knitting machine, a needle bed, and needles independently mounted therein and laterally supported by the needle bed except adjacent to one end thereof, means tor l'eeding threads to the needles in plating relation with one, at least, of the said threads being tensioned and adapted, due to such ten sioning, to deflect laterally needles that knit in such thread, and by such deflection to maintain the threads in a separated relation.

6. it knitting machine provided with W hooked needles and means for feeding a thread to all of the needles and a second thread to certain of the needles only, the second mentioned thread being fed to the needles under tension and such tension laterally l5 deflecting said certain needles as they draw their stitches, such lateralmovement ot the needles separating the threads within the needle hooks.

i". ll method of knitting consisting in feeding at least one thread to needles and another thread to certain only of the needles by needle wrapping movements of the said other thread, maintaining said other thread under tension and thereby deflecting said certain needles to maintain the threads in plating relation.

8. In a circular knitting machine of the rotary needle cylinder type, means for feeding a thread to needles and other means for feeding an additional thread to needles, the needles being free to be laterally displaced adjacent to the stitch drawing portions thereot, means to tension the thread second mentioned and thereby laterally deflect the needles taking such thread and maintain the two tl'lreads in plating relation as the needles draw their stitches.

9. A knitting machine provided with a rotary needle cylinder and needles therein,

40 means for feeding at least one thread to the needles, other means for feeding at least one additional thread to certain of the needles only by needle wrapping movements of the said additional thread, the needles being tree to be deflected laterally adjacent to their stitch forming portions, means for tensioning the additional thread and thereby laterally deflecting the needles around which such additional thread is wrapped so that the two threads will be maintained in plating relation as the needles draw their stitches.

10. ill knitting machine and needles therein, means for feeding a thread to the needles and means for feeding an additional thread or threads to some of the needles, said means inchnling thread guiding means mounted to more with respect to the needles and by such movements to wrap said additional thread or threads around certain needles, the needles being tree to be laterally deflected adjacent to their stitch forming portions, and the aforesaid means adapted by acting upon a thread or threads and, when being moved, to wrap such thread or threads around certain ll needles, laterally to deflect such needles and thereby position the two threads in plating relation.

11. A knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder and needles therein adapted independently to move to and from thread taking position, means for feeding a thread to the needles and other means adapted to feed at least one additional thread to some, at least, of the needles, the means last mentioned consisting of arotatably mounted member provided with means for wrapping such additional thread around some of the needles, means connecting the needle cylinder and rotatable member whereby they rotate in time with one another, the needles be ing free to be deflected adjacent to their stitch forming portions and the rotatable member adapted as it rotates to assist in the deflection ot' the needles around which is wrapped the additional thread by acting upon such thread, and by such deflection to position the two threads in plating relation within the stitch drawing portions of the needles.

12. Aknitting machine and needles therein, means for feeding two threads to all the needles and in plating relation and an additionalthread or threads to some of the needles, including thread guiding means mounted to move with respect to the needles and by such movements to wrap said additional thread or threads around some of the needles, the needles being free to be laterally deflected adjacent to their stitch forming portions and the aforesaid means adapted, When moved to wrap a thread or threads around some of the needles, to assist in the deflection of such needles by acting upon such thread or threads and thereby position the additional thread or threads in plating relation with respect to the threads first mentioned.

13. A knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder and needles therein adapted independently to move to and from thread taking position, means for feeding two threads to the needles and other means adapted to feed at least one additional thread to some, at least ofthe needles, the means last mentioned consisting of a rotatable member provided with means for Wrapping such additional thread around some of the needles, meansconnecting the needle cylinder and rotatable means whereby they rotate in time with one another, the needles being free to be deflected adjacent to their stitch forming portions and the rotatable member adapted, as it rotates, to assist in the deflection of the needles around which is wrapped the additional thread by acting upon such thread and by such deflection to position the additional thread in plating relation with' respect to the threads first mentioned within the stitch drawing portions of the needles.

1%. A circular knitting machine and neodles independently mounted therein, means for feeding two threads to the needles and means for feeding an additional thread or threads to some of the needles, said means including a rotary thread guidin member mounted to move with respect to t e needles and by such movements to wrap said additional thread or threads around some of the needles, the needles being free to be laterally deflected adjacent to their stitch forming portions and the aforesaid means adapted when moved to wrap a thread or threads around certain needles and assist in the deflection of such needles by acting upon such thread or threads and thereby position the additional thread or threads: in plating relation with respect to the threads first mentioned.

15. A knitting machine, needles mounted therein adapted to be laterally deflected adjacent to their stitch forming portions, means for feeding one thread at least to the needles and other means adapted to wrap an additional thread or threads around certain of the needles only, means adapted laterally to deflect the needles around Whichthe additional thread or threads is or are wrapped, whereby to position and maintain the threads in separated plating relating within the stitch drawing portions of the needles.

16. A knitting machine and needles mounted therein, means for feeding two threads to needles and in plating relation and a third thread to some of the needles only by wrapping the said third threads around the said needles, the needles being laterally deflectable adjacent to their stitch forming portions, and means adapted laterally to deflect such needles to position the said third thread in separated plating relation with respect to the threads first mentioned.

17. A circular knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinderand needles mounted therein, means for feeding two threads to the needles and in plating relation, other means consisting of a member movable with respect to the needle cylinder and adapted by such movements to wrap an additional thread or threads around certain of the needles, the needles being laterally deflectable adjacent to their stitch forming portions, and means adapted to deflect such needles whereby the thread last mentioned is maintained in separated plating relation with respect to the threads first mentioned as the needles successively draw their stitches.

18. A method of knitting consisting in feeding two threads to the needles and wrapping a third thread around certain of the needles only and during the feeding of the threads to the needles laterally deflecting certain of the needles adjacent to their stitch forming portions so that the wrapped thread will be maintained in separated lating relation with respect to the threa s first mentioned as the needles knit their stitches.

19. A circular knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder and needles mounted therein, means for feeding one or more threads to the needles, other means conslsting of a member movable in time with the needle cylinder and adapted to wrap at least one additional thread around CGItQIII'Of the needles, the needles being laterally deflectable adjacent to their stitch forming portions, and means adapted to deflect such needles whereby the thread last mentioned is maintained in separated, plating relation with respect to the thread or threads first mentioned as the needles successively draw their stitches.

20. A circular knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinderv and needles mounted therein, means for feeding one or more threads to the needles, other means adapted tewrap at least one additional thread around certain of the needles, the needles being laterally deflectable adjacent to their stitch forming portions, and means adapted to deflect such needles whereby the thread last mentioned is maintained in separated, plating relation with respect to the thread or threads first mentioned as the needles successively draw their stitches.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT H. LAlVSON. 

